Natsume and Mikan: Soul Shuffle!
by SidneyShey
Summary: I've always wondered what it would be like if these two switched places! They're so different, so it's bound to be interesting. In which Natsume is forced to wear a skirt, Mikan becomes a bad boy, and the truth about Natsume's condition is out! R&R please
1. Chapter 1

Mikan's POV

"Goodnight, Natsume!" I giggled. "See you tomorrow, pigtails." Natsume said with the faintest trace of a smirk. We went our separate ways, each heading to bed. "I love you, Natsume," I sighed as I pulled the covers over my brown bangs. As I closed my eyes, I thought I smelled a familiar, herby smell, but then dismissed it as nothing. _Please let me dream about _howalon_…Oh, yeah, Natsume, too… _Was my last thought as I was lulled to sleep by the perfume-y scent.

Natsume's POV

I walked towards my room, smiling to myself. Mikan's too eager for her own good. We're total opposites. But I still love her. Of course, if anyone asked, I'll deny. But it was no secret. I quickly leapt into bed, drawing in my notebook as I tried to get some sleep. Just as I closed my eyes, an acrid smell drifted and curled around me. It smelled sort of like burnt leaves. _I'm not going to worry about it…_ I thought drowsily as I drifted off.

I blinked open my eyes, feeling confused. I didn't know why, but I was. I looked at the sheets around me. Pink? Since when were my sheets _pink?!_ I scrambled out of bed, heading for the mirror above the ridiculously girly sink. Oh…hell…no." I whispered in that girly voice I had come to love. Those chocolate brown eyes that were now _mine._ I tried to conjure a flame on my palm, to no avail, as I had expected. I was a girl…even worse, I was _Mikan!_ I slammed my fist into the wall and said a lot of words that will get edited out for you little ones who shouldn't even be reading this kind of stuff. Jeez, go watch Elmo or something.

Mikan's POV

I yawned as the morning sun hit my face. Time to get up already? But my bed felt especially warm and comfortable… When I opened my eyes, I saw the reason. My bed was very wide and plush. And…my sheets were black? I curiously surveyed the room; it looked very Natsume-ish. I smiled happily. Had Natsume carried me here while I was sleeping? He was so sweet! "Are you here, Natsume?" I sing-songed, but my voice sounded different. Weird. Not me. I jumped up quickly, searching desperately for a mirror. Finally I found one (yeesh, Natsume was so unconcerned about his appearance!) and screamed. In Natsume's voice. Which sounded super gay. I blinked back tears as Natsume's crimson eyes looked at me, also filled with moisture. I swept his raven black hair out of my eyes--_his_ eyes--and dressed for class, determined to find the meaning of this.

"Natsume Hyuga!!! What the hell?!" I shrieked, stomping into the classroom and pouting quite nicely. I gulped as I realized it would look really foolish for Natsume to scream at himself and spit like a mad cat. I blushed furiously. Luckily, the only people in the room were me and Ruka-pyon. "Hey, Ruka-pyon!" I greeted him cheerfully. Ruka-pyon gave me a WTH-has-my-best-friend-gone-mad face and said, "Hey Natsume. You look happy today." "Of course I'm happy! Look. The sky's blue, the birds are singing, and everyone's healthy. Isn't that a good enough excuse to smile a little?" Okay, I was over doing it--a lot. But, as I had expected, it drew Natsume/Me in like a moth to a flame. Him being the flame and I the moth!

Natsume's POV

I was wearing a skirt! A SKIRT! And I was not happy, either. I stormed into the hallway, hoping no one would be able to see through my ruse as Mikan. And, hey, this thing only lasted an hour, right? Right?! As I snuck towards Class B, I heard snatches of my own voice, sounding a lot cheerier than I thought was possible. When I heard the part about sunshine and birdsong, I moved a lot faster than I thought Mikan's legs could go. "Why, hello Nat-su-me," I growled through a forced smile. Mikan giggled, and I felt hot fury race down my spine. "Oh, hi, Sakura. You're wearing your hair down today." Ruka commented, giving me one of those mushy looks he usually saved for his animals. Ugh. I shuddered. "You're right Ruka-pyo… Ruka. I wonder why she's wearing her hair down." Mikan said, her…no, _my_ eyes flashing briefly. "Can I talk to you for a moment, Natsume?" I muttered, taking my own arm. Damn, that was creepy. "Mikan, why did you switch us?" I sighed in frustration. "I didn't do it! Anyways, it's only a harmless little prank. It'll wear off soon. Don't look so sullen." she laughed. She reached up and ran her hand against my--her--jaw. That doesn't make one grain of sense. "Hey, why'd you put my hair down?" she questioned. "You're lucky I didn't chop it off!" I shot at her, then sighed. "I always tell you I like it down, but do you listen? No. So I'm taking matters into my own hands." She giggled again, and I battled internally about knocking her unconscious until the effects of this thing wore off. Decisions, decisions…

Mikan's POV

"Time for class, everyone." Jinno-sensei ordered. I scrambled to find Natsume's seat in this class; he nodded at a seat in the back. Of course. I once again began playing with Natsume's black hair. Several people turned around in their seats to give me funny looks. I stopped twirling Natsume's hair and faced the teacher, which was possibly even more unusual. "Is there something you would like to share with the class, Hyuga?" Jin-Jin asked with a poisonous glare. "Yes. That necktie is a lovely shade of blue that really compliments your eyes." I said, grinning foolishly. Natsume glared at me from my normal place at the front of the room, then began to scribble furiously on a piece of scrap paper.

_Quit acting like yourself!_Natsume had written. Hm, his handwriting was still his, even though he was in my body. How weird. _I'm only trying to be optimistic. If you're so concerned, I give you permission to do whatever you want with me. _Natsume grinned, which looked beyond strange on my face. _Anything? _he wrote, smirking. _Knock yourself out._ I wrote, knowing this was not going to be good. "Sensei, sensei! I have something to share with the class!" Natsume said, waving his hand around in an awful impression of me. "Yes, Sakura?" Jin-Jin said coldly, and I braced myself for the worst. "I would like to confess something…my undying love…for--mmmph!" that was as far as that boy was going to get! "Natsume you dirty perverted fox! You baka! You freak! You hotheaded son of a--!" I shrieked, smacking Natsume as hard as I could. Suddenly…ZAP! My hair, well Natsume's really, started smoking. I tried to shake off the shock of the electric jolt I'd received. "Hyuuga! Sakura! Detention! Out of my classroom!" Jinno-sensei roared. As I shuffled out of the classroom, head bowed in shame, I heard whispers coil around me. "I didn't know Natsume could scream like that…" "Yeah, and Mikan seems kind of mean lately…" _"WHAT IS UP WITH THOSE TWO?!" _"Well…you've really done it now, polka-dots." Natsume sighed. "Me?! You were about to say I was claiming undying love for someone!" I squealed. "You gave me permission," he reminded me. I let out a breath of air I didn't know I'd been holding. "You're right." I whispered. And then I started crying. Then I remembered I wasn't me anymore. I was Natsume. Natsume was me. That only made me cry even harder. Natsume put an awkward hand on my shoulder, probably alarmed to be watching himself crying. Then I looked up and saw Natsume wearing a skirt, and I started laughing. "Tch, you girls are so emotional. C'mon, we're skipping today." Natsume grunted, helping me to my feet.

Natsume's POV

I hauled polka-dots to her…my feet. "Wipe those tears out of your eyes. You look prettier when you smile." I told her, knowing flattery would perk her up. She sniffled, and smiled just as I'd told her to. My eyes watching me…it was unnerving. Suddenly a silhouette could be seen up ahead of us. It was Sidney, followed by her usual swarm of cats. The ones with problems always seemed to love her the most, though. The one she was holding had only half an ear, and one of its eyes was looking in on the other one. It was a very small kitten. "Hi, Sidney!" Mikan greeted her. "Oh, hi, Mikan. Natsume." Sidney said, sounding subdued. "What's wrong?" Mikan said, instantly picking up on her mood. I cursed Mikan internally; what did she think she was doing, using that soppy tone while in my body? "Well, I can't find Felix. He's been gone so long…" Sidney whispered. Felix was her favorite cat, the one she'd brought over from America. He had deformities on all of his paws. But that wasn't the strangest thing. Only Ruka and I knew that Felix was actually her brother who had the Alice similar to hers. He could transform into a cat, but he'd been stuck since she was a baby. "That's too bad. When did you notice he was gone?" I asked carefully, trying to sound as Mikan-like as I could. "About the time when Sumire put that medicine bottle in my backpack…It was labeled 'Soul Shuffle Aroma'. She wanted me to give it to you, Natsume, but I didn't know what it was, and…" she muttered. "What do you know about that?!" I demanded impatiently. "Natsume, quit being such a dictator! The truth is, I'm Mikan, and he's Natsume." Mikan explained. "So that's what that medicine does to people." Sidney murmured. "Apologize, Natsume!" Mikan ordered sternly. "Sorry," I mumbled. "Could you please describe the bottle thoroughly?" Mikan asked sweetly. "Hm…The label said 'Soul Shuffle Aroma.' Two people who are truly in love with each other will have to use it at the same time, and then they will switch bodies. The stronger their love is, the longer they're stuck." she recited. "Ah. So Sumire thought she would switch with Natsume." Mikan giggled. "Well, if Perm only planted one bottle, then where'd the other one come from?" I pondered. "I have a feeling Hotaru has something to do with this!" Mikan declared. The school bell suddenly sounded for dismissal. "Oh, sorry! I've got to go! Pudge! You shouldn't wander off on your own!" Sidney fretted as the deformed kitten galloped away. "Where should we go now?" Mikan wondered to herself. "Well, Jinno only serves detentions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I think we have some free time." I replied. Well, today was Friday. "Can we go see Ruka-pyon for a while?" Mikan begged. "Whatever, polka-dots." I said, about to suggest the very same thing.

When we found Ruka, he was, of course, with his animals. "Oh, hi, Natsume! Hey, Sakura!" he greeted us, rubbing a horse's head as it nuzzled him. Giant Piyo was watching with envy through a window. "Hey, Ruka-pyon! How are you?" Mikan giggled. Ruka looked at my body with something close to alarm. "Hey, Ruka." I said casually. Ruka's head whipped back and forth between us, and I could tell he knew something was up. "Natsume?" he said to me, sighing. "Yeah." I responded, embarrassed, wishing desperately that I could get out of this skirt. "This whole thing is such a mess," Mikan sighed, flopping down on a pile of straw. "Permy." Ruka said wisely, and Mikan and I both made noises of disgust. "I'm going to burn her to death." I growled. "Not until you get out of my body--you can't." Mikan reminded me. "Damn it!" I yelled out of pure frustration. "You've got my nullification." she reminded me, and I struggled not to say, "What good is your stupid nullification?! I can't put anyone in the intensive care unit with that!" but didn't because we were on good terms, at last. "Hey, Sakura. Try using Natsume's Alice." Ruka suggested. She looked surprised, like it had never occurred to her. "Okay…Natsume, how do you do it?" she asked me tentatively. "I dunno…just think of something that makes you mad." I suggested, not liking having to describe how I started fires that killed people. "I can't do that! I m-mean, it's not possible!" she squeaked in alarm. Hey, Mikan. I know what color panties you wore yesterday." I told her. "No you don't!" she protested. "Oh yeah? Pink and blue stripes. Frilly trimming." I said smugly. "You bastard! How could you?!" she screamed. "Natsume, look!" Ruka whispered. A small flame appeared on Mikan's palm. "Quit flailing around!" I ordered her. She stopped, and looked in wonder at the tiny fire she'd produced. "It's like…a tiny heartbeat! It feels alive!" she breathed. "It needs oxygen to stay alive, just like humans. It breathes and moves and grows." I said, which had to be the most touchy-feely heart-on-my-sleeve thing I'd ever uttered. Ruka and Mikan looked at me in shock, but I didn't meet their gaze. "It's getting late. I'm going to go." Ruka said to break the awkward silence. "I'm going to bed, too." Mikan said, but I grabbed her. "Won't it seem a little strange if you're sleeping in Mikan Sakura's room? And vice versa?" I pointed out. "You're right. But I don't want you going through my stuff!" she said stubbornly. "I wouldn't do that," I lied soothingly. "Still…" she grumbled. "Hey. We could…share a room," I muttered almost inaudibly. "What?" "I'm not going to repeat myself." "I heard you, but…why?" I sighed. "Remember that one time, when we were 'stuck together'?" she nodded. "Well, we can just say that we accidentally came across that sticky powder again, and no one will be the wiser." I explained. "But we can't walk around like that!" Mikan said hotly. "We can use other excuses every day. We'll just make it up as we go along." I told her coolly. She calmed down a little. "Okay. Who's room are we sleeping in?" she asked with a straight face. I smacked my palm on my forehead.

Mikan's POV

I nervously wandered into Natsume's room. It had been a few months since I had really examined it, and hardly anything had changed. There was always that smoky scent, and the same black sheets and blankets. One thing did stand out, though. A dark blue notebook that lay open on Natsume's desk. He kicked it under the bed when he thought I wasn't looking. "Make yourself at home." he said, flopping onto his bed. There was silence for a second. "How long do you think we'll be stuck like this?" Natsume asked. "I dunno. Howmuchdoyouloveme?" I blurted out at the end. Natsume looked up in surprise. "We're screwed." he said affectionately.

Soon the stars began to shine weakly as the moon came out. I made tea and Natsume and I had an honest-to-goodness conversation. Not once did he call me polka-dots or me call him perverted fox. Sure, we argued every once in a while, but that was to be expected. Finally, when the moon was high in the evening sky, we called it a night. I curled up beside him, trying to exert my newfound control over Natsume's fire to make us warm. As soon as Natsume's breathing was even, I reached under the bed and picked up the notebook. Flipping through the pages, I bristled with surprise. There were pictures of me! And a list of what underwear I wore each day?! How was his information so accurate? I would have to thoroughly scour my room when this whole thing was over… As I snuggled closer to the sleeping Natsume, my last thoughts were of fire…everywhere…

Natsume's POV

It was strange, I hadn't slept so soundly in months. But what woke me up were polka-dots barely stifled shrieks as she writhed around beside me. "Mikan!" I whispered. She was covered in sweat. Running a high fever. "Grandpa, it hurts! Help!" she squealed. I started to panic. Okay, what did I do when I got a fever? Um… Uhhh… "I'll be right back!" I promised, then darted for the hospital. One nurse sat at the reception desk, reading a magazine. "Please help! Natsume!" I panted. The nurse looked up, recognition in her eyes. "Hyuuga again, huh?" she muttered, plopping the magazine down and following me back to my room. Mikan was still panting, but she seemed too tired to keep thrashing around. The nurse was about to go back for a stretcher, but I told her I would handle it. She looked like she was about to argue, but in the end, she left it alone. I tried to pick her (me) up as best as I could, but Mikan wasn't as strong as I was. By the time we reached the hospital I was out of breath, but determined to get Mikan some help. I didn't want her to suffer the way I did. As my body was hooked up with IV's and all that stuff, I realized that I had to get Mikan out of my body _right now._ How could I let her go through this? I was about to go find Ruka, and see if maybe he knew someone with a knowledge of herbs and all that, when I overheard people talking about me. "Hm. That Natsume boy again?" "Yes. Persona is working him so hard." "I heard Persona died…so the class is discontinued. Why is that boy still in such rough shape?" "If he overworks himself in this condition, he'll…" the voice trailed off. I immediately turned around and sped back towards Mikan. I couldn't leave her. Finding a way out of this would have to wait.


	2. Chapter 2: New Arrivals In Feline Form

_**Mikan's POV**_

"_**Hyuuga…time to wake up." a voice was saying loudly. Since that voice wasn't familiar, I decided I would ignore it. "Mik--Natsume, I brought you some howalon. But it's in your room." Natsume said, knowing that would work. "Howalon!" I cheered, throwing back the covers to find I was in the hospital. "Why am I even here?! Let's go**_**!" I insisted, but two pairs of hands pushed me back. "Sorry, Hyuuga. You have to rest for a while. This young lady has agreed to take care of you over the weekend." the nurse soothed. Natsume made a face at being called 'young lady'. "Okay." I said miserably, and the nurse moved away, promising she'd get me breakfast. "Don't make those puppy dog faces in my body." he sighed, reclining against the side of the bed. "Do you really have howalon?" I said eagerly, ignoring his sullen attitude. "Mm-hm. The guy who works there even gave me some free, since you're a valuable customer." he said, pulling a garishly decorated box from under the bedside table. "Yay! Thank you, thank you!" I squealed, wriggling a little under the blankets to take a piece from him. "You'll never learn." he growled. "Natsume, I have to ask you something. Why do you have a list of what underwear I wear every day?" I asked slyly. Natsume's immediate blush gave me all the answer I needed. "I don't." he lied. I rolled my eyes, not buying it. "Good news," the nurse informed me as she came back carrying a tray. She set it down, and I grabbed a piece of toast. "You're free to go, Hyuuga. Mikan's going to be keeping an eye on you, though." the nurse said, nodding to Natsume. "Thank you, miss!" I said happily, then remembered at the last second to scowl. Natsume rolled his eyes this time. "Quite welcome." the nurse muttered, turning away and looking surprised. "Let's go." Natsume murmured. At the exact same moment, Sidney walked in. "Hi, Mikan. Feeling okay?" she asked, turning to me. I was unnerved; she caught on quickly, didn't she? "Yup. I'm fine. In fact, I was just released." I told her. "Oh, okay. Just wanted to see how you were doing. Bye, you guys." she said, leaving as quickly as she had come. "Bye," Natsume and I chorused. "Amazing." I said once she was gone. **

**Natsume's POV**

**Once we went back to my room, we found something unexpected. A small black kitten was curled up on my bed, its small body moving slowly as it breathed. "What the heck is this doing here?" I said, exasperated. "Look, there's a note!" Mikan gasped, eyes traveling over a scrap of notebook paper. " 'This is Shadow. He's yours, Mikan. And I mean YOU Mikan, not Natsume in your body. =) Keep him or give him to Ruka. Natsume, yours is in Mikan's room.'" I read over Mikan's shoulder. I knew that handwriting. She was the best forger in the Dangerous Abilities class, after all. "Ohhh, he's adorable!" Mikan cooed as she picked up the tiny creature. **_**I don't really want a cat, but I'll just go to Mikan's room and check it out.**_** I thought, curious. "Ow!" Mikan yelped. The black cat was awake now, one paw outstretched, ears flat against its head. But it had familiar eyes. Eyes like mine…well, Mikan's since she was in my body. But you know what I mean. "It scratched me!" she wailed. "…Good cat," I said before leaving. **

**When I got to Mikan's room, there was, in fact, a kitten. Sadly, it was awake. Its fur was a light, mousy brown. I noted that it had chocolate brown eyes, like my own. "Mooooooow!" it said loudly, rubbing its furry little self against my ankles. "Well, Mikan will be upset if I kill you." I said, trying to come to a decision. But something was missing. A note. I searched all over, but couldn't find a thing. "So, am I supposed to name you now?" I said curtly. The cat started purring. "Jeez. So clingy. Guess I'll call you Freya." I muttered. **

**I came back to my room to find Mikan trying desperately to get Crimson out from under the couch. "Argh--Shadow, come on! I just want to pet you! OW! You little--! Oh, hi, Natsume. Is that your cat?" Mikan panted, sucking on her bleeding pinky finger. "Yeah." I said blankly. "What's it's name?" Mikan asked curiously. "Freya." I responded. "Goddess of beauty?" Mikan said, surprised. "I knew I've heard that name somewhere." I mused. Mikan blushed. Freya walked up to the now visible Shadow, who decided he would take another nap. "Do you think they'll fight?" Mikan asked cautiously, hand over her mouth. Freya meowed once, and Shadow opened one eye to look at her. She started purring. Cheerful little idiot. Shadow sighed and closed his eyes again, turning away from her. "All that's missing is for him to call her 'polka-dots.'" Mikan giggled.**

**Mikan's POV**

**I was so happy that I had a kitten! Even though that kitten was Natsume Junior, but he would be tamed in time. My arms were already covered in scratches, but I was still happy. Now I was getting ready for bed, looking at my reflection in Natsume's bathroom mirror. Trying to take off his earring and little ear clasp thingy. "Natsume!" I called, frustrated that I couldn't get them off. "What?" he called back. "Come here a second." I insisted. I heard a soft sigh as he got up off the couch. "Now, what do you want?" he grumbled. "I can't get these off," I complained. "They don't come off, baka. They're welded on." he explained. I stared at him in shock. "Now quit pulling on them or you'll make me bleed." he grumbled, going back to the couch. Welded on? That's what those people had done to him? I had the sudden, violent urge to throw somebody through a wall. I blamed it on the body switch. When it was time to go to bed, I tried and failed to convince Shadow to sleep near me. Freya walked right up to Natsume, but he nudged her away. "Goodnight, Natsume." I said sleepily. "Night…strawberry-pattern." he said quietly. Before I closed my eyes, I watched Freya sneak over to Natsume when his eyes were closed, and curl up to him affectionately. I even thought I saw Shadow inch closer to me, but that last image might have been the beginning of a dream…**


	3. Chapter ThreeDirty Little Secrets

Natsume and Mikan Soul Shuffle Chapter Three

Mikan's POV

I woke up to find Natsume was nowhere in sight. I yawned hugely, and Freya came up to me, purring. Of course Shadow was in another 'Natsume' mood and refused to come anywhere near me. Arrogant little bugger. I figured if Natsume wasn't here and hadn't been for a while, I could…look around a little. Definition: Go through his stuff. I once again blamed my need to do this on the body switch. Hmm…A normal bookshelf, nothing in his bathroom cabinets but a toothbrush and comb (the comb probably never used). This guy had nothing! Until I noticed the only book with a bookmark. Its jacket said 'The Sex Life of Sea Anemones', but when I looked closer, it was a journal!! "Jackpot!" I whispered. What happened when I took the book off of the bookshelf was even more interesting. A small, hollowed out space held a few items. A Horse Hoof Glove that Hotaru had given him for his birthday, the one he'd used to punch Tsubasa once. A portable Baka Cannon. The Alice control Mask. It made me angry just looking at it. But it was covered with a thick layer of dust, which made me feel slightly better. The next two things I saw made me gasp. The first thing was the tiny orange Alice Stone that I had given him. It was so tiny, it could have been an Alice Pebble, but he had kept it. The second thing was one of my hair ribbons, the same one that I had lost months ago. Tears were starting to well up in my eyes, until I spotted a note. I picked it up and read it curiously. _Dear Mikan, If you are reading this, then I am right behind you. _I paled in alarm. _I had Imai hook up a silent alarm system that goes off when anyone but myself gets in here. So please turn around before I burn you to a crisp. Yours truly, Natsume. _"Ahem." Natsume poked me from behind. "Damn it to heck!" I hissed to myself. I turned around, expecting to be slammed into a wall by a murderous version of myself, but Natsume's expression was blank. "You are hopeless!" he muttered, fingering his journal I never got to read. "Listen, Natsume…I'm really sorry I snooped in your stuff. Will you please forgive me?" I mumbled, ashamed. "Sure. Besides, I already combed your room." Natsume said coyly, holding up my bright pink diary. "You…!" I growled as Natsume tossed 'The Sex Life of Sea Anemones' at me. "Could you be more conspicuous?" Natsume said, shaking his head with mock scorn. "Turning into a girl…" I heard him murmur to himself before I sat down beside the window to read. 

Natsume's POV

I opened the terrifyingly cheery diary to where I had left off, seeing it titled 'Three Kisses in one night?!' and immediately taking interest. Stupid alarm had to go off at that exact second. I settled on the couch and began to read. 

_Dear diary,_

_Today was exciting, but also scary! It's the day of the Christmas dance. Hotaru, Anna, Nonoko, Iinchou and everyone else were dressed up nicely. I pinned my hair up to one side of my face for the occasion. Everyone looked awesome! __J When I got there I saw Ruka, Youichi and Natsume looked rather nice, too. Youichi looked angry at me, as always, and Mr. Bear just happened to pass by. I made a deal with Mr. Bear that I would clean if he played with Youichi for a while. I was stuck miserably cleaning until Hotaru and Iinchou helped out. I was taking a breather when Youichi smiled at me, then kissed me on the cheek! It was sweet for such a little kid to do that, but it was still baffling. Then--GUESS WHAT?! Ruka-pyon leans over and does the exact same thing, but on my right cheek. It left me very confused. Thus began the Masquerade Ball! Everyone had really cool masks, and I especially liked mine--it had the shape of a butterfly. I was going to ask Ruka to dance, debating with the awkwardness it would stir up, when…the perverted fox himself asked me!!! I didn't know what to say. When I danced with him, I felt…like it was more serious. Suddenly I felt something--someone-- collide with my back, and I tumbled over onto Natsume. I winced as my teeth cut into his jaw due to impact. Everyone stopped to stare at us, and I felt my face redden up. "Don't kiss with your teeth, ugly." he muttered before stalking off. I shrieked at his retreating back, then stood there, awkward and unsure of what to do. Then a handsome, masked boy walked up and asked to dance, and I took his hand numbly. We talked as we revolved slowly, but I wasn't paying attention. I was in my own, astonished world. ?! Was the only thought that resembled something coherent. I walked up to the gigantic Christmas tree, climbing it to get a better view of the world below. But when I got up there, it was already occupied by--you guessed it--Natsume. "Hi." I whispered. We made small talk for a few minutes, but it eventually led up to the kiss. I told him it wasn't a real kiss and that he shouldn't brag about something that didn't happen. Then he grabbed me and shoved my mouth against his. I was like '_Oh_ God please don't let it end' but still had to breathe. I gasped for air when we broke apart, and Natsume left. It sucked, because, secretly, I wanted to kiss him again. Confused and frustrated, Mikan. _

I looked up in slack-jawed surprise at Mikan, to find that she was staring at me already. "Is it really that bad?" I asked Mikan hoarsely. She shook her head, and started reading again. Freya rubbed against my leg again, and I decided I would pet her, just this once. Didn't want to spoil the cheerful idiotic thing. 

Mikan's POV

Natsume's journal was…epic. If I sold this to Hotaru she would be the richest person on Earth. But of course I wouldn't sell Natsume out like that. No way. Unlike my diary, Natsume's went on before I came to this school. It even went back to when he was eight. I flipped until I found his very first entry.

_This academy sucks, just like I thought it would. The teacher's gay, and all of my classmates are in my face. As always. I have a lot of classes with Ruka, though, which isn't bad. He doesn't like it any more than I do. He had to leave his mom, I had to leave Dad and Aoi. I miss her. A lot. _

Natsume's entries got even shorter than that, but there were a lot of them. A lot of them were about missions for the Academy, which always made me clench my teeth. When I was finished reading I saw that Shadow was only about two feet away, staring at me with bloody crimson eyes. He noticed me looking at him and huffed. "Do you have 'closure' yet?" Natsume asked sarcastically. I didn't answer. "The Sex Life of Sea Anemones?" I asked, trying and failing to keep a straight face. "Think about it. You're not going to pick that up and think you're reading something interesting, right?" "Guess so." There was silence for a second. "Hey, want to tie Permy to a stake and roast her alive the old fashioned way?" Natsume suggested, sounding bored. "Nah. But we could spy…" I said wryly. "Thank God you've got my mind." Natsume sighed. 

"I don't see her." I whispered as Natsume and I hid behind a bush. "Shh!" he hissed. Suddenly I could see a head of short curly hair bobbing closer to our hiding spot. A boy with tawny blond hair and glasses was following. "Inchou!" I gasped in recognition. The two sat down on a park bench, arguing furtively. "…I don't know how this happened! I don't wanna be a boy foreveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!" Inchou wailed. Natsume and I exchanged worried glances; what was he talking about? "Umm…Sumire? I have a question. How do you put a bra on?" Permy whispered. "OH MY GOD! PERMY AND IINCHOU SWITCHED BODIES!!!" I screamed, but it was in my head, so nobody heard it but me. And possibly Koko. I was about to whisper this to Natsume when I saw he was four different shades of red. "What?" I asked suspiciously. He blushed harder, which stained my pale December skin. "I'm having problems with that, too." he muttered inaudibly. It took all my self-control not to burst out laughing. "The Great Natsume Hyuuga…is defeated by a bra." I said, voice quivering from suppressed laughter. "I'll burn you." he threatened. 

Natsume's POV

"Natsume, it's my freaking body, I can do whatever I want with it!" Mikan demanded shrilly. "Don't touch me!" I growled, dodging her attempts to catch me. Chasing me with a BRA. "I am not afraid to use fire to force you into this bra!" Mikan said, stamping her foot. "Sic 'em, Freya!" I commanded my cat. She was sleeping, the bastard. "Good for nothing furball!" I yelled, running out of places to hide. Suddenly Mikan tackled me, knocking me to the ground. I swore colorfully. Practically verbal art. "Gotcha!" Mikan declared. "NO WAY IN HELL AM I WEARING A POLKA-DOTTED BRA!" I shouted. Too late. On it went. "I hate you." I snarled. "Hey, I have to look at you too, you know." she said bravely. We shot insults back and forth just like the good old days, until she said, "You don't really hate me, do you?" So dense. So completely, incredibly dense. "Duh, polka-bra. If I hated you, would I constantly be putting up with your crap?" I scoffed. "I don't hate you too, polka-dotted boxer boy." I felt like slamming my head against a concrete slab or something. _Click!_ The sudden noise of a camera going off made me whirl around, still shirtless. "HOTARU!" Mikan and I exploded at once. 


	4. Chapter 4

Natsume's POV

Being in Mikan's body pretty much sucked, but I did get a lot of sleep because of it. "Natsume, get up! Today's Monday!" Mikan said cheerfully. "Thank God! I was _so_ looking forward to wearing a skirt again!" I said sarcastically. "Oh, shut up." she said, rolling her eyes. "Try to act a bit more like me, okay?" I insisted. "I've got it down, don't worry." she giggled. "You don't if you're doing that." I muttered. She scowled. Such a cute scowl. "Then _you_ need to be more cheerful. Like _moi_. " "I'll try my hardest to be a spontaneous ray of sunshine." I said flatly.

We dressed quickly, me still not liking the skirt. Well, what guy in their right mind would?! Naru probably would, but he's a fag. As we were walking out the door, that stupid cat tried to follow me. "Go away," I sighed, nudging her back with my foot. "Natsume, don't be so mean! At least your cat _wants_ to follow you!" Mikan pouted, Shadow struggling in her grasp. I pretended not to notice as Freya followed my every move, stupid, air headed thing.

"Hey, Natsume! Mikan-chan!" Someone called. "Oh, hi, Ruka." I greeted him. "Still switched?" he panted. "Sadly." I nodded. "Ruka-pyon!! Hi!" Polka-bra gushed. Ruka still looked slightly alarmed that such a cheerful idiot was in my body, but, good friend he was, he ignored it. "Where'd those cats come from?" Ruka asked, focusing on Freya and Shadow. "Don't you already know?" I asked, raising my eyebrows in suspicion. Ruka blushed furiously. "N-no…I've never seen those cats in my life!" he declared, sprinting off to class. "You suck at lying, Ruka-pyon!" Mikan yelled after him.

Polka and I trudged into class. "Mikan-chan!" all of Strawberry-print's girly friends squealed. I tried hard not to grimace. "Ohayo." I muttered. "Mikan! Your cat is soooooo cute!" that Anna girl said. "You want it?" I asked. Mikan nudged me. Natsume-kuuuuuuuuuuun! You kitty is adorable!" Permy trilled. I shot a glance at Mikan. "They switched back?" she mumbled out of the corner of her mouth. "Either that or Iinchou is officially gay," I murmured back. "Ohayo, Permy," Mikan smiled. Oh, great. Here it comes… 3...2...1... "OHMIGOSH OHMIGOSH OHMIGOSH OHMIGOSH OHMIGOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NATSUME-KUN SAID OHAYO TO MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Permy screamed, going over to her other preppy friends to brag about it. "_Why_ did you do that?" I groaned, exasperated. "I just said hi." Mikan looked confused. "You can't let her expect anything! Now her stalking will be five times as bad." I slapped my palm on my forehead. "Oops…sorry." Mikan said softly. "Everyone, get to your seat!" Naru ordered cheerfully. _Make me, faggot, _I thought venomously, but let it go since I was technically 'Mikan'. Mikan took her place in the back by Ruka, Permy watching with her cat ears poking out. Her green eyes were huge as she watched Mikan breathing. Wow, this girl was queer. "Okay, everyone! Our little foreign treasure has had an idea!" Naru clapped, pointing at the cat-girl Sidney. She shrank down a little. "She has agreed to let you all have a movie night in her room! Exciting, am I right?" Naru leered. People started to murmur agreement, and Mikan begged me with her…my crimson eyes. _We have nothing better to do, I suppose. _I thought resignedly, and gave her a nod. She grinned in that girly way, and Permy swooned. At the same time, a barrage of _clicks _could be heard, and right away I knew that picture was going on eBay. Curse Imai and her obsession with money!

The bell for first period chimed, and I stayed in the room because Japanese was next and this was Naru's subject. _(A/N: I think…) _Stupid Curly-Perm had fixated her schedule around mine, so OF COURSE she remained in her seat, staring at Mikan and waiting for her to do something exciting. Ugh. "Natsume, will you kiss me? Natsume, want to go to Central Town? Natsu--" I cut off her begging, and pushed her away. (As Mikan, of course) "Back off, bitch. He's mine." I growled, and did the only thing I could think of. I kissed myself.

Mikan's POV

Natsume's lips touched mine, and I blinked in surprise. Then I caught on. _Ohhh, he's doing this so Permy will leave him--us--alone! _I thought. I breathed in quickly through my nose and increased the kiss. _God, are my lips really this dry? _I thought worriedly. THIS--WAS--SO--WEIRD! Kissing myself yet kissing Natsume…oh, it's so confusing. I broke away, gasping. Permy shrieked and stomped away to her friends, glaring daggers. When she was sure Natsume (who looked like moi) was looking, she flipped 'him' off. Natsume returned the gesture grandly. "Sorry, you just made an enemy." he murmured apologetically. "She wasn't much of a friend anyway." I admitted. "Meow!" Shadow said gleefully. I watched as he rubbed against Sidney's hand. "Knew it!" Natsume nodded. "Where did you two get these cats?" Sidney asked innocently. "Mm-hm. Fake ignorance." I teased. I thought I saw a taunting reply in her eyes before she turned away, smirking. "Come here, Shadow," I called, and got a scratch in reply. "Damned animal!" I yelled as he stalked away. "It's no use yelling at him. He's only going to ignore you." Natsume pointed out. Even as he was saying it, he swatted Freya away from his lap. "Hypocrite!" I said, sticking out my tongue.

The rest of the day passed slowly, because I was constantly worrying about being found out about the body switch. Every once in a while I'd do something wrong, like smile at random people or chase after Hotaru, who smirked knowingly. I also was there to witness every one of Natsume's mishaps (sadly, there weren't a lot): Calling Ruka-pyon 'Ruka', glaring at random passerby, and making an 'I'm gonna slit your throat and hide the body' face at Tsubasa-senpai. In MY body! How dare he?! Oh, well. At least he didn't actually slit Tsubasa-senpai's throat. Then he'd be in HUGE trouble. As the end of the day rolled around, I remembered that Narumi-sensei didn't tell us when that movie night thing would start, so I skipped--uh, I mean, skulked--off to find him. "Narumi-sen--Naru--when's that movie thing starting?" I asked colorlessly once I had caught up to him. "Hm? Oh, it's you, Natsume-chan." Narumi-sensei murmured, distracted. I waited. "Oh--you wanted to ask me something?" he said, eyes refocusing. I couldn't help but let a trickle of irritation infect me. _Natsume and his bipolar issues…_ I grumbled inwardly. "Um…the movie night thing in Sidney-chan's room? When does it start?" I asked again. "Oh…Around seven, I'd say." Narumi-sensei said, and I stalked away, Natsume-style.

Natsume's POV

I was already back in my room before Ichigo-chan strode in. "Where have you been?" I muttered irritably. "Asking Narumi-sensei about when that movie night thing started." she replied, tossing her book bag onto the bed. "Hn." I murmured, turning away. "What's the matter with you?" Mikan said immediately. "Nothing." I said instantly. "Tell meeeeeee!" she whined. "If you would shut up, then maybe I would!" I snapped. She looked taken aback. "Sorry." I said softly. "…Okay. I can't put your hair up." I surrendered, defeated. "That's what you were angry about?" she giggled. I ignored her. "Here…" she said, pulling a few hair ribbons from my pockets. Now how did those get there? Strange. "Sit down." she commanded, shoving me in the back. I gave her a questioning look, and she slipped out of my room for a minute.

When she came back, she was holding a pink hairbrush, which I immediately cringed away from. "No effing way." I grumbled. "Yes, Natsume. MY body, 'member?" Mikan hissed around the makeup-thing in her mouth. It was lip gloss or mascara or eyeliner or some other stupid thing. "Okay. Then I get to mess with you." I smirked. She looked freaked out at first, then said, "Whatever. I won't be the one wearing lip gloss." "No way in _hell _am I wearing--" I picked up on her glare. "You're gonna get it, polka dots." I growled.


End file.
